There's so much going on with the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck that it's easy to lose track of what on any other vehicle be all anyone talks about. There's the bizarre retro-sci fi name or even more retro sci fi look. It has a built in ramp and a top range of 500 miles on a charge. It was released with an all electric quad that was designed the fit right in the bed.
Oh, and it's bulletproof. Sort of.
That section of "Why is this happening?" from the reveal of the first pickup from the electric vehicle pioneers Tesla got lost a bit in one of the events most memorable failures. Elon Musk invited his guest to throw a steel ball at the windows and exactly what you would think would happen happened, the broke.
Prior to that, though, the same guest had been whaling away at the panels of the Cybertruck with a sledgehammer with no effect to the truck. A video demonstration showed the panels of the Tesla Cybertruck taking a 9mm bullet and shrugging it off.
Takes a Beating
It's a strange selling point for a new pickup. Generally speaking when someone calls a truck 'bulletproof' it's meant more as a euphemism, to suggest that the truck is reliable, not able to take actual bullets.
It's not entirely clear if this is a hint that Musk thinks we're only a few years away from a Road Warrior style wasteland or if he just wanted another place to use the stainless steel that's used on SpaceX rockets.
How does the Cybertruck get its bulletproof status? Is it even really bulletproof?
Well, no. Not in the way that people who make bulletproof things for the military and law enforcement think of the word. In order for something to get rated as bulletproof it has to survive a very specific set of tests.
Moreover, the kind of material that is used in the Cybertruck, stainless steel, is not an ideal choice when making something bulletproof.
But it is extraordinarily strong, and a clue to the insane look of the Cybertruck. While regular sheetmetal can be pressed to create the shape of modern cars, in order to do that with the metal used on the Tesla they would have first had to invent a stamp strong enough to shape the steel.
Strong from the Outside In
As it is, in order to make so much as a corner the metal has to be scored deeply. This is the big secret behind the angular looks of the Cybertruck, any curve in the design would be a massive addition to the manufacturing process, so we got a 4X4 triangle.
If the material is heavy at 3mm and difficult to shape, why is Musk so committed to using it? It has to do with another head scratching break with tradition in the design of the electric pickup.
Most pickups are body on frame affairs. This allows the frames themselves to be robust while the dressing on top can change to meet the various needs of the buyer, as tool trucks or tow trucks or whatever else.
The Cybertruck gets its strength from the stainless steel exo-skeleton that uses the entire structure to strengthen the truck. This makes the truck stronger and at 3mm the 301 stainless steel able to resist a bullet from a 9mm gun.
Clearly Musk doesn't expect buyers to take their new Cybertrucks into gun fights like it was K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, but the idea that it can take a bullet from a handgun is enough to create the legend of the Cybertruck's toughness.
Even if it comes at the price of that love it or hate it look.